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Quarantine
Quarantine is the eighth episode of TUGS. Plot It is the year of the big heat wave. Many incoming boats have sickness aboard, and must fly a yellow flag to show they need to have a medical examination to determine whether or not their sickness is contagious. If their disease is infectious, they must anchor away from port and fly the checkered flag to show they are under quarantine for the compulsory forty days, and warning everyone not to go near, for fear of being infected. Burke and Blair, a pair of evil minded scrap-dealing tugs, have their eyes on O.J. whose engine has been acting up lately. They have already made Captain Star an offer for him, which he’s not yet argeed to. Ten Cents and Sunshine arrive at the Star Dock, late and having missed the briefing. After furiously threatening to sell them for scrap, Captain Star informs Ten Cents that he was supposed to collect a fire barge from the station across the harbour, and that O.J. is now taking care of it. Ten Cents is sent to help him while Sunshine has to bring in a tramper called Nantucket. If O.J. is alright, he and Ten Cents can join the others, ready to take away vessels cleared from quarantine. Meanwhile, O.J., on his way to the ferry pier with the barge, is watched by Burke and Blair. The two scrap dealers delight at the sound of his choking engine. At the same time, the Fultan Ferry follows an intersecting path, on a regular journey. O.J. suddenly spots a Coast Guard’s messenger rapidly approaching him from the distant harbour entrance. Before he knows it, it is right on top of him. O.J. reverses out of the way just in time, but his faulty engine spins him, swinging his barge into the Fultan Ferry. The ferry now has a large hole in her hull, causing her to sink. Ten Cents, on his way out to meet O.J., sees the situation and tries to save the Fultan Ferry with a towline. But he is forced to cut the rope, and the ferry sinks to the bottom. Sunshine arrives, not too far behind Ten Cents, and is sent to get the emergency services. While Burke and Blair make a second attempt to purchase O.J. at the Star Pier. Back at the scene of the Fultan Ferry, the Fire Chief arrives to take care of the situation and cranes are put into position to raise the sunken ferry. Zorran and Zug arrive to criticise the Star Fleet, especially O.J. and gloatingly express their delight that there will be fewer Star Tugs available for quarantine work. When Ten Cents and O.J. arrive at the mouth of the harbour, they find Top Hat and the two Z-Stacks still waiting. The Coast Guard informs the tugs that the schooners are quarantined, as they may carry Microbonic Plague. Ten Cents is surprised when Zorran sends Zug packing and says that he himself will go further out. Ten Cents, knowing Zorran, suspects foul play. Sunshine is out of port, looking for Nantucket, when he spots the tramper (flying a yellow flag); he makes sure not to go too close. The tramper lowers its flag. As Sunshine moves closer, Nantucket requests a tow into port. With no customs boat in sight, Sunshine wisely hurries away, not wanting to risk being infected. Zorran sees Sunshine on his way out and asks if there’s any cleared trampers. Sunshine refuses to tell him, but Zorran won't let him off the hook as if he just wanted some information for the fun of it. Ten Cents and O.J. quickly come to Sunshine's aid. Sunshine explains that Nantucket's yellow flag was pulled down. Zorran thinks the tramper has been cleared, and tries to seize upon this "golden opportunity" by simply rushing out to the tramper immediately. Ten Cents gives chase, determined to beat Zorran to it. O.J. follows Ten Cents (doing considerable damage to his engine in the process), and manages to stop him. He is certain the tramper is either waiting for examination or to be quarantined. O.J. brushes off the two switchers' concern for his burnt-out engine, telling them that they both could have been quarantined. Zorran triumphantly reaches Nantucket and pulls alongside, while Ten Cents and Sunshine tow O.J. back to the Star Pier. Captain Star almosts confirms he’s ready to sell O.J. for scrap until being appalled to tears by what Ten Cents has to say about being saved from quarantine. Burke and Blair show up yet again and make their final offer for O.J.. After the day’s events, Captain Star instead angrily sends the scrap dealers packing, and tells Ten Cents to take O.J. to Lucky’s Yard for a new engine. He also sends Sunshine on garbage duty to make up for lost money. Zorron is ready to tow Nantucket into port, than the Coast Guard arrives and immediately places an arrest warrant on the tramper since he’s actually diseased without quarantined flags up. Despite Zorran protesting that he was unaware of Nantucket still being quarantined, the Coast Guard orders both him and the villainous tramper to put up quarantine flags. Burke and Blair pass Zorran and snicker at his dilemma. Zorran ends up quarantined alongside Nantucket for forty days. Characters *Ten Cents *O.J. *Top Hat *Sunshine *Grampus *Zorran *Zug *Fire Tug *Coast Guard *Burke and Blair *Mighty Mo *Nantucket *Captain Star *Fultan Ferry *Coast Guard's Messenger *Warrior *Zip *Izzy Gomez *Big Mickey *Scuttlebutt Pete *Captain Zero *Port Authority *Sir Francis Drake Trivia Goofs Category:Episodes